Google warns of the consequences of EU sanctions

Ever thought of paying to use Android? Well, it seems the latest ultimatum issued to Google by the European Commission to unbundle its OS within the next 90 days might come at a huge cost to the user.

Reacting to the hefty fine [$5 billion] slammed on Google, company CEO Sundar Pichai has said it might have some far-reaching consequences. According to Pichai, Android user will “install around 50 apps themselves” and can without stress get rid of preinstalled apps. He insisted that if Google is prevented from bundling its own apps as a result of the EU decision, the Android ecosystem will be affected.

“If phone makers and mobile network operators couldn’t include our apps on their wide range of devices, it would upset the balance of the Android ecosystem,” Pichai said per The Verge. “So far, the Android business model has meant that we haven’t had to charge phone makers for our technology, or depend on a tightly controlled distribution model,” the Google CEO added. “But we are concerned that today’s decision will upset the careful balance that we have struck with Android, and that it sends a troubling signal in favor of proprietary systems over open platforms.”

Although the European Commission headed by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager did not give a clear directive as to how Google should go about getting itself out of the bundling web it found itself, there is, however, no doubt that Google’s revenue could take a hit if phone makers start bundling their own browsers.

If that is the case, there is every chance that Google could start licensing Android to phone manufacturers. This may look like an empty threat considering the fact that Chrome and Google search enjoy a lion share of the market in their respective fields. There is in fact a slight chance that the company’s revenue generation from ads may take a big hit even if phone makers start pointing search engines towards other companies.

The next three months will be crucial in terms of the future of Search and Chrome being bundled with the Android OS. The fact that those two apps may not come preinstalled in Android is one very interesting possibility many of us are interested in.

Shortly after fining Google the sum of $2.7 billion last July, the European Commission urged rivals that may feel hurt by the company’s breaking of its anti-trust law to consider suing the search engine. The Commission through its Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, urged Google’s rivals to sue the search engine giant for abusing its anti-trust law.

Vestager said any business that feels hurt should use the ruling to prop up its case, the Daily Mail reports. “It is for everyone who feels they have been hurt by the illegal Google behavior to take this report and use in court as part of their evidence will have an influence,” Vestager said per The Sunday Times.

The European Commission in charge of competition fined Google a whopping sum of $2.7 billion for abusing its “dominance as search engine.”

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Ola Ric is a professional tech writer. He has written and provided tons of published articles for professionals and private individuals. He is also a social commentator and analyst, with relevant experience in the use of social media services.